1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector having an improved protecting mechanism for protecting a cover and a base thereof.
2. Description of Prior Arts
A ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket is often used to mount a PGA (Pin Grid Array) chip on to a printed circuit board. U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,926 issued on Aug. 26, 2003 discloses an electrical connector comprising a base defining a depressed portion thereron, an actuator having a head and a plurality of cylindrical portions, a cover slidably engaging on the base by the actuator, a protecting member comprising a cover plate attached to a lower surface of the cover and a bottom plate attached to the depressed portion. The cover defines a corresponding indentation thereon for receiving the head of actuator. The cover plate and the bottom plate respectively has a hole defined on a central portion thereof for mating with the cylindrical portion of the actuator.
In operation, the actuator is rotated to push the cover to slide along the base. One of the cylindrical portions rotatably engages with the inner surface of hole of the bottom plate. Conventionally, the bottom plate is punched by a metal sheet so that the inner surface of the hole is not lubricous enough to engage with the cylindrical portion of the actuator. Therefore, it is difficult to push the actuator, and the stability between the PGA chip and the printed circuit board is easy to be broken.
Hence, it is desirable to provide an improved electrical connector to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages.